In recent years, the humble doughnut has become a culinary canvas for all sorts of bold flavor combinations. On National Doughnut Day, we take a look at a few choice selections from around the country.
1. HALVA // UNDERWEST DONUTS
Location: New York City
If you’re visiting Times Square, head west to 12th Avenue, where you’ll find one of the city’s best doughnut shops—inside a car wash, of all places. Underwest, run by a former sous chef, turns out an assortment of thick, rich cake doughnuts, including the Halva, a glazed doughnut topped with the nutty, tahini-based sweetmeat.
2. ROSEMARY OLIVE OIL // FŌNUTS
Location: Los Angeles
Fōnuts is a popular L.A. shop that specializes in baked doughnuts made with all-natural ingredients. And this is its calling card: a delicate, earthy doughnut made with crushed rosemary, olive oil, and a hint of lemon zest. If you can’t make it to southern California, try your hand at the recipe, courtesy of pastry chef Waylynn Lucas.
3. POI GLAZE // KAMEHAMEHA BAKERY
Location: Honolulu
Bite into this specialty from Kamehameha Bakery and behold a soft, gooey purple cake filling. That comes from poi, a Polynesian staple made from the taro plant, that’s baked into the dough. If you’re in town, go early: The bakery opens in the wee hours and sells out quickly.
4. THE CHARLESTON // GLAZED GOURMET
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
The Charleston, like the city it’s named for, is a southern treat through and through. It’s filled with bourbon cream, covered in a toffee glaze, and topped with crushed pralines.
5. THE DOH-NILLA // PSYCHO DONUTS
Location: San Jose and Campbell, California
Why choose between cookies and doughnuts? The Doh-Nilla, made by the mad scientists at Psycho Donuts, is topped with vanilla frosting and Nilla wafers, and drizzled with chocolate sauce.
6. GOOEY BUTTER // STRANGE DONUTS
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
This is the doughnut version of a St. Louis cake staple, and boy is it a hit at up-and-comer Strange Donuts. Made with cream cheese, vanilla and—you guessed it—butter, the doughnut is super rich and sweet, and appropriately gooey on top.
7. VANILLA PUDDING CURRY NERDS // STREET DONUTS
Location: Seattle
This is just one of many topping combinations visitors to Seattle’s Street Donuts can create. The mobile cart, which appears at locations throughout the city, gives customers a basket of mini doughnuts and lets them go crazy. Other toppings include Nutella, cardamom, chai, bacon, marshmallow fluff, and dulce de leche.
8. THE BOMBSHELL // GLAM DOLL DONUTS
Location: Minneapolis
Glam Doll bakery likes to spice up traditional doughnuts with bold flavors. Exhibit A: The Bombshell, filled with spiced Mexican chocolate, and topped with a vanilla glaze and cayenne pecans. It’s anything but your usual jelly-filled doughnut.
9. PINEAPPLE BASIL // RISE BISCUITS AND DONUTS
Location: Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
Rise Biscuits and Donuts is a small but fast-growing chain that likes to mix in a few tasty experiments with its classic selections. One of its more colorful varieties, the Pineapple Basil, includes a basil cream filling, pineapple glaze, and pistachio topping.
10. THE FREEBIRD // GOURDOUGH’S
Location: Austin, Texas
Gourdough’s, which serves up doughnuts, doughnut sandwiches, doughnut burgers, and doughnut-based entrees, does not hold back. The Freebird is a testament to that spirit. It’s filled with cheese cake batter and topped with cream cheese, graham cracker crumbles, strawberries, and blackberries.
11. MEMPHIS MAFIA DONUT // VOODOO DONUTS
Location: Portland, Oregon
The lovably odd (and super-popular) Voodoo Donuts has made its name with off-the-wall doughnuts. Embodying the shop’s crude decadence, the Memphis Mafia takes dough made with banana chunks and cinnamon and tops it with peanuts, peanut butter, chocolate frosting, and chocolate chips.
November 5, 2016 – 2:00pm